The list of crimes alleged to have been perpetrated by brothers Mahinda and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa – respectively the president and defence minister of Sri Lanka – are truly horrifying. During the last few…

Homophobia in the Commonwealth isn’t just a relic of colonialism.
Image from shutterstock.comNovember 14, 2013

The Kaleidoscope Trust this week released a report on LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual/transgender and intersex) rights in Commonwealth countries. It found that 41 of the 53 member states still…

Australian prime minister Tony Abbott announced earlier this week that he would not join his Canadian, Indian and Mauritian counterparts in boycotting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM…

Uganda is among 76 countries in the world - and 41 Commonwealth states - that criminalise homosexuality. Should Australia get involved?
EPA/Dai Kurokawa.September 23, 2013

In Australia, there is an ongoing debate around the right for same-sex couples to marry. The majority of laws discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people were repealed in…

Given its long association with the Commonwealth, it is no surprise that Sri Lanka is hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in November this year. These biannual meetings are normally…

CHOGM As the meeting between Commonwealth Heads of Government kicks off in Perth, a row is brewing over the idea for a new Commissioner on democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Holly Cullen from…

First step: address under-investment in agricultural research and development.
AAPOctober 27, 2011

CHOGM: As the leaders of Commonwealth nations meet in Perth, The Conversation is examining the role of the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) Meeting. Daniel Rodriguez from the University…

The 2009 CHOGM meeting held in Port of Spain joined the call to put NCDs on the global agenda.
AAPOctober 27, 2011

CHOGM: As the leaders of Commonwealth nations prepare to meet in Perth this week, The Conversation is examining the role of the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) Meeting. In our latest…

Is Australia playing big brother to Pacific nations, or the school-yard bully?
CHOGMOctober 26, 2011

CHOGM: As the leaders of Commonwealth nations prepare to meet in Perth this week, The Conversation is examining the role of the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) Meeting. In our second…

Who will take over the family firm after Prince William is under discussion by Commonwealth leaders.
AAP/Lyndon MechielsenOctober 26, 2011

UPDATE: Commonwealth leaders have now agreed that laws will be changed to allow sons and daughters of any future British monarch to have equal right to the throne. The ban on the head of state marrying…

India is emerging as a world economy - so why can’t Australia make more its relationship?
AAPOctober 26, 2011

CHOGM: As the leaders of Commonwealth nations prepare to meet in Perth this week, The Conversation is examining the role of the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) Meeting. In the first piece…

The conflict still looms large in Sri Lanka - half a million land mines are still scattered throughout the country, and there’s a huge international effort to clear them.
AFP/Ishara S.Kodikara October 26, 2011

CHOGM: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is among the Commonwealth leaders gathering in Perth this week. But his government is accused of committing war crimes against its own people. Ben Saul, Professor…